Automatic air-brake.



No. 742,722. PATENTED OCT. 27,1903. 0. H. NELSON. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE.APPLICATION PILBD FEB. 27, 1903.

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PATENTED new. 27, 1903.

0. H. NELSQN. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1903.

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5 UNITED STATES iatented October 27, 1953.

PATENT O I E.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,722, dated October27, 1903.

Application filed February 27, 1903. Serial No. 145,333.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. NELsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trinidad, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado,have made certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brakes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in that class of automatic air-brakes inwhich an auxiliary reservoir and triple valve forming parts of theordinary Westinghouse system are dispensed with, the brakes proper beingapplied by a powerful spring or springs, which are normally held out ofaction by air-pressure applied to a piston connected with said brakesand working in an air-cylinder which is duly connected with thetrain-pipe.

My invention has special reference to means for equalizing the releaseof air-pressure in the severalbrake-cylinders on the cars of a train, sothat the brakes of the several cars may be applied simultaneously, alsoto means for equalizing several brakes of each car, and also to meansfor a quick release of air-pressure on the 10- comotive, as hereinafterdescribed.

The invention is embodied in the construction, combination, andarrangement of parts operating as hereinafter described, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is mainly adiagrammatic representation of my invention, the same being shown inbottom plan applied to a locomotive and a car. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of one of the air or brake cylinders. Fig. 3 is a similar viewof one of the locomotive air or brake cylinders, the piston being shownretracted. Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom plan view of a portion of a carprovided with my improved air-brake. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal verticalsection of the car and apparatus shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailsection on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1, 1 I

indicates an air-pump which supplies the main reservoir 2. The latter isconnected with the train-pipe 4 by a pipe 3, an engineers valve 5 of theusual construction bethe application or force of the 'ver 11 at a point(N0 model.)

ing applied thereto in the usual way. Two air-cylinders 6 6 are tive,and a single cylinder 7 is provided for each car. As shown in Figs. 2and 3, the 10- comotive-cylinders 6 and the car-cylinder 7 are providedinteriorly with a piston 8, which is connected with a rod 9, thatprojects from the smaller end of the cylinder, and a powerful spiralspring 10 surrounds the rod 9, it being thus interposed between thepiston 8 and the smaller end of the cylinder. In case it should bepreferred,a second spring smaller than the one here shown may beinclosed within the larger. As shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, thepiston-rod 9 is pivotally connected with the main brake-lever 11, whichis practically fulcrumed centrally on the rod 12,which connects with thebrakes proper, 13, which are applied to the wheels 14 of the front truckof the car. It will be understood that I do not propose to restrictmyself to the use of any particular form of brakes proper, sincevariousforms or styles may be employed, it being only necessary that the sameshall be duly connected with the main brake-lever 11. A keeper or guide15 is provided for the main brake-leadjacent to the piston-rod 9.Another keeper, 16, which also performs the function of a stop, isarranged in connection with the opposite end of the main frame lever 11.(See Figs. 4 and 6.) As shown in Fig. 4, the end of the main brake-leveradjacent to the stop 16 is pivotally connected with a rod 17, whichextends to and connects with the rear set of brakes proper. (Not shown.)It has been found in practice, that with the main brake-lever thusfulcrumed and connected with the piston of the 7 aircylinder and therespective front and rear brakes the brakes are not equally released,the leverage on the fulcrum-rod 19, which connects with the front set ofbrakes, being greater than the leverage or For this reason I haveprovided the stop 16, which, as will be understood by reference to Fig.6, arrests the rearward swing of the main brake-lever 11 when theopposite end is acted upon by reason of the pressure of the air in thecylinder 7.

It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 4 that the arranged on the locomoforceapplied to the rod 17. Y

train-pipe is connected with the cylinders 6 and 7 by small pipes 20 and21, respectively. These pipes have a less internal diameter than thetrain-pipe 4, so that the passage of air from the latter to thecylinders is'slightly retracted. In other words, the circulation ormovement of air in the train-pipe proper is freer or less restrictedthan in the branch pipes 20 21. Consequently, when pressure in thetrain-pipe 4 is released by opening the engineers valve, thereis asudden movement of air simultaneously throughout the length of thetrain-pipe, and a simultaneous relief of air-pressure in the severalcylinders throughout the train. In brief, it will be understood thatnormally, the pressure in the train-pipe which is also applied in eachof the cylinders 6 and 7 throughout a train and that thereby the severalpistons of the said cylinders are forced back until the tension of thecompressed springs equals that of the air-pressure, and the brakesproper are consequently held out of actiom-that is to say, out ofcontact with the running wheels; but when the engineers valve is turnedto release pressure in the train-pipe 4 pressure is likewise released inthe several cylinders, and the springs thereof are thus left free toapply their full force for swinging the main brakelever 11, and therebyapplying the brakes proper with corresponding force. Practice hasdemonstrated that if the branch or connecting pipes 20 21 between theseveral cylinders and the train-pipe have each the same internaldiameter as the latter the brakes are not applied simultaneouslythroughout the train; but the brakes nearest the locomofive are firstapplied, then the next succeeding brakes, and so on. By my system thebrakes are practically applied simultaneously throughout the train, andthus an important advantage is attained. It will be noted in Figs. 1 and4 that a stop-cock is provided at 22, so that communication may be cutoff between the train pipe 4 and the cylinders whenever required.

In Fig. 1 I illustrate a provision whereby a quick release of thelocomotive-brakes may be attained. A pipe 23 connects pipe 3 of the mainreservoir 2 with a branch pipe 24, leading to the cylinders 6. A two-waycook 25 is provided in the pipe 23. The stopcocks 22 in the branch pipes20 may be open as usual; but by turning stop cock 25 a more directcommunication is opened between the main reservoir 2 and the cylinders 6than is practicable through the pipes 4 and 20 by using the engineersvalve. Further, the flow of air in the pipes 23 24 is freer than inpipes 20, so that the locomotive-brakes are released quicker than in theusual way.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the piston-rods 9 and 9 are shown provided with holesat 26, which are adapted to receive a pin 27, (see Fig. 3,) which may beinserted when it isgdesired to hold tion indicated by f out ofengagement with the ratchet.

the pistons retracted and the brakes out of action.

In Figs. 1, 4, 5 I show means for applying tractive force to the mainlever 11 for the purpose of retracting the springs 10 within thebrake-cylinders 7. For this purpose a rod 28 is'pivoted to the mainbrake lever 11 and its outer end, and provided with a pulley 29, (seeFigs. 4 and 5,) around which passes a chain 30, that is wound upon ahandbrake shaft 31. The latter is provided with a hand wheel 32 (seeFig. 4) and also with a ratchet-wheel 33. (See Figs. 5 and 7.) A pawl 34indicates the underside of the ratchetwheel and is pivoted in a bracket36. The said pawl is weighted at its engaging end, and a pivoteddrop-weight 37 is arranged to act upon its outer end for holding itnormally engaged. Such engagement is illustrated by full lines in Fig.5.It will be understood that when the brake-wheel 32 is rotated the shaft31 winds up the chain and applies great tractive force to the spring inthe cylinder 7 and that it is securely located in any adjust- I ment bymeans of the pawl 34. When it is desired to release the hand-brake, thepivoted counterbalance 37 is thrown up to the posidotted lines, whichallows the weighted front end of the pawl 34 to drop In Fig. 4 thebrake-rod 28 is shown arranged close to the truck-wheels 14; but, asseen in Fig. 5, the said rod has an upward bend or ratchet, so thatpractically there is no danger of the rod coming in contact with thetruck-wheels. I illustrate in Fig. 4 an arrangement of the rod fartherfrom the truck-wheels, and in such case I provide a supplemental lever38, v the same being pivoted to the side of the carframe and alsoconnected with the main brakelever by a short link. By this arrangementit is practicable to arrange the brake-rod 28 at any required distancefrom the truck-wheels. Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with railway-cars and a train -pipe attached to andextending throughout the train, of air-cylinders, pipes connecting thesame with the train-pipe, a

spring and piston arranged in each of the several cylinders, a mainbrake-lever connected at one end with the piston-rod and at its oppositeend and middle with the front and rear sets of brake mechanism, and astop arranged for contact with such lever, whereby the rearward movementof the end of the lever which is farthest from the cylinder is arrestedwhen the air-pressu re is applied in the cylinder, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination with the main reservoir, the train-pipe connectedtherewith, air-cylinders and branch pipes connecting the same with thetrain pipe, of the supplemental quick release mechanism consisting ofthe pipe 23 and its branches which connect the forations, and a pinadapted for insertion main reservoir-pipe with the cylinders, andatherethrough for the purpose of holding the [O two-way release-cockapplied to the said pipe spring out of action, substantially as shown23, and stop-cocks applied to the said branch and described.

5 pipes, substantially as shown and described. CHAS. H. NELSON.

3. The combination with brakes proper, of Witnesses: a cylinder, apiston and spring arranged SOLON C. KEMON,

therein, the piston-rod having transverse per- AMOS W. HART.

